Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church facts for kids
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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Complex
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| Location | 13770 Gratiot Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Peter Dederichs Et al. |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival, Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001020 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1991 |
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church is a Catholic church in Detroit, Michigan. It is often called the Assumption Grotto Church. The church community started in the 1830s. The building you see today was finished in 1929. Because of its history, it was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1990. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
What the Church Looks Like
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church is part of a larger group of buildings. This group includes the main church, a convent, a rectory (where the priests live), a cemetery, and a special grotto. There's also a boiler house for heating. A gym and activity building were added later, in the 1960s.
The church building itself is made of limestone. It is built in a style called Neo-Gothic, which looks like old European churches. Inside, you'll find beautiful altars and railings made of Italian marble. The windows are made of stained glass. They show pictures from the life of the Virgin Mary and other saints.
The rectory was built in 1918 and is south of the church. The convent, built in the early 1920s, is to the north. Both are made of red brick, just like the smaller boiler house. Behind the church, to the east, is a cemetery. It has many old monuments from the early 1800s to today. A large statue of Our Lady of Lourdes stands on the church grounds, facing Gratiot Avenue.
Near the back of the cemetery is the grotto. This special shrine was finished in 1881. It was built using limestone brought in from other places. Farmers from all over Michigan helped by bringing large rocks and boulders. Some of these stones and limestone pieces have names and special messages carved into them.
Church History
In the 1830s, German immigrants came to Detroit. They arrived during a time when many people were sick with cholera. To avoid the city, they traveled north along Gratiot Avenue. They settled near some French Catholic families who were early pioneers. The history of this church is closely tied to the Greiner family. You can see their name on monuments in the cemetery and on a nearby street.
John and Catherine Greiner settled on "Fort Gratiot Turnpike" in the 1830s. They lived near a small log cabin chapel called St. Mary’s in the Woods. The Greiner family even gave the land for this first chapel.
They started a small community called Connor's Creek. They built a log church where the current church stands today. They called it Kirchen Wald, which means "Church in the Woods." Missionaries held Roman Catholic services there. Over time, the name changed to "Chapel of the Assumption," then "St. Mary's in the Woods." Finally, it became the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church."
In 1847, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church became an official parish. It was only the second one in what is now Detroit. Many family records from the late 1800s show births, marriages, and deaths happening at "Assumption, Greinerville." In 1852, Father Amandus Van Den Driessche from Belgium became the first full-time pastor. He started building a permanent brick church. It was finished by the end of 1852 and could hold 500 people.
In 1876, Father Vandendriessche visited France. He was very impressed by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. So, he decided to have a copy of the grotto built at his church. Peter Dederichs designed this grotto. It was completed in 1881. On April 30, 1882, Pope Leo XIII signed a special paper. This paper offered blessings to anyone who visited the Grotto and prayed for their faith.
As Detroit grew in the early 1900s, so did the church community. The brick church built in 1852 later burned down. Construction on a third church began in 1907. But the number of people kept growing. To serve more people, the Detroit architect Aloys Frank Herman designed the current church. It was built between 1928 and 1929. The church was officially opened on September 22, 1929.
The Church Today
Because the grotto became so famous, the Church of the Assumption started to be known as Assumption Grotto. Church services are held every day. On weekends and holidays, there are different types of services, including traditional Latin Masses.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de la Asunción de la Santísima Virgen María para niños
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
